Forced Drug Treatment Could Lead to More Fatal Overdoses

NPR AUDIO – NO ONE FORCED THEM TO START –

April 6, 2024 – More people suffering from drug addiction are being forced into drug treatment and threatened with prison if they don’t comply. Some say it’s “tough love.” Critics say it’s unethical and ineffective. People with addiction are being forced into drug treatment programs more frequently across the country. Those who refuse are threatened with prison, the loss of welfare benefits or other penalties. Supporters say this tough-love approach may be necessary, but many doctors and addiction experts disagree and say it might lead to more fatal overdoses. NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann joins us now. Brian, thanks for being with us.

SIMON: Brian, how common has mandated addiction care become around the country?

MANN: They’re really common. And it’s noteworthy, Scott, that drug use is one of the few areas of American life where officials use this threat of criminal penalties and prison time to pressure people into accepting medical treatment against their will. With the threat of fentanyl, more states are embracing this idea. Just a few weeks ago, when lawmakers in Oregon were debating a measure to recriminalize hard drug use, this kind of mandated treatment was a cornerstone of the bill. Here’s State Representative Kevin Mannix.